Ataenius Heinekeni Wollatson, 1894 (Insecta: Coleoptera: Aphodiinae)
(A. heinekeni) Ataenius heinekeni Wollatson, 1894 (Insecta: Coleoptera: Aphodiinae) By: Edrick Lugo Millán & Verónica Acevedo Ramírez, Juliana Cardona, Nico Franz Geographic Range: Bahamas (Andros), Barbados (probably introduced), Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico (Quebradillas- east of Lago Guajataca, Bayamón, Mayagüez), St. Thomas. USA (SC-FLTX), Mexico to Brazil, introduced to Ascension and Madeira islands. Habitat: A. heinekeni beetles were beaten from leaves, collected under leaves and logs on hard ground, under live-oak trees, on old rice-field dams, under roadside debris and at coastal coppice trap. (Jerath,1960). They are mainly found in animal dung and decaying material. Physical Description: Ataenius is distinguished from other genera of the Eupariini by a combination of characters, among them head narrower than pronotum, anterior clypeus visible from above, pronotum laterally without denticles and at most sparsely to moderately ciliate, sides of pronotum not explanate, elytra often with basal margination, front tibiae with slanted anterior margin, middle and hind tibiae not flattened, uniformly wider from base, hind tibiae straight with outer apical angle spiniformly prolonged, tarsi normal with first segment often as long as the following three segments combined (SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY, no 154). Length 4.3.-5.5 mm. Usually reddish-brown to black, few with color patterns, some dorsally setose.. Head moderately convex, surface smooth, granulate, wrinkled, or rugose. Abdominal fluting is distinct. External sexual dimorphisms are subtle, if present. Life Stages: The life cycle of Ataenius beetles is not well known but apparently they are humus feeders in the soil, with a few species attracted to decaying vegetation and to animal dung.
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